Priorities
by Angel of Neptune
Summary: Hotaru learns the importance of paying attention in school, but getting her priorities straight is another thing.


**Title: **Priorities

**Author: **Kamel

**Pairing: **n/a

**Word Count:**1,150

**Genre: **General

**Rating: **PG

**Feedback: **Please and thank you.

**Notes: **

**Summary**Hotaru learns the importance of paying attention in school, but getting her priorities straight is another thing.

This was way beyond frustrating and the young child was just about reaching her boiling point with this horrible piece of homework. Tapping her pencil furiously against the worksheet, Hotaru continued to determinedly stare at the assignment, but she was still drawing a massive blank – she did not understand how to add and subtract fractions with an uncommon denominator. She was not even a hundred percent positive what the denominator was for that matter. This was entirely confusing.

Not once before had she had problems in mathematics, it was a subject she considered herself to be very decent at though it was not necessarily her favorite. The child was growing steadily annoyed at the assignment, she was fed up by the fact she was stumped, she did not like it one bit. Why could she not remember the lesson? She had been paying attention, right?

Hotaru felt her stomach tie itself into tight knots. No, she had not paid direct attention; she had been distracted by her classmate's chattering and new Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading cards. In defeat, she set her pencil down on top of her desk. Her shoulders slumped slightly; she would not be able to pass the grade level without knowing how to add or subtract fractions, would she? She would not be able to go to school anymore – what would her mamas and papa think? Surely they would still love her and keep her around; there were other things she was good at.

The little girl slipped down from her chair and stepped outside her bedroom. Frown plastered on her pudgy face, Hotaru dragged herself into the kitchen where her Michiru-mama was preparing dinner. She pulled out one of the bar stools and took a seat, watching her Michiru-mama chop assorted vegetables for tonight's dinner. Once the carrot had been fully chopped, sea blue eyes met lavender. And Michiru set down the knife she had been using; her daughter was flustered, she could tell that much.

"Is something bothering you, hime-chan?" Michiru asked.

At first, Hotaru sighed heavily. She rested her head against her arm on the bar, keeping eye contact for a moment longer. "You guys would still love me if I failed school, right?" she asked, looking away. "I can do other things like clean and cook – then you can relax, Michiru-mama."

Michiru was a bit taken back by Hotaru's statement. Where did this come from all of a sudden? Taking a rag from the small rack Hotaru and Haruka had made her a few months ago for Mother's Day, she dried her damp hands before stepping up to the counter. "What are you talking about, hime-chan?" she asked, leaning over the counter. Hotaru sat up, frowning. "You're a very intelligent girl."

"I didn't pay attention in school today," Hotaru admitted. "And I don't understand my homework now."

Even thought the girl was pouting, Michiru could not help but smile genuinely. "Is that what you're worrying about?" she asked. "After dinner, hime-chan, I will help you with your homework," she promised, causing the child's face to light up.

"You know how to add fractions, Michiru-mama?"

"I think I can manage," the older woman winked. Michiru had no bad subject in school – music had been her favorite, but she had been above average in all of her class, including math; she went all the way up to calculus, she could definitely handle a few fractions. "Go wash up, hime-chan, then can you please set the table?" she asked.

Now in a better mood, and excited, Hotaru nodded before taking off to the bathroom. The kitchen fell quiet for a moment before her roommate stepped inside. Setsuna placed her briefcase on the counter before fetching a bottle of water from the fridge. "I didn't hear you come in," Michiru commented, returning to dinner's preparation.

"Probably couldn't hear over Hotaru's scampering – is Haruka home yet?" Setsuna asked, twisting off the cap to the bottle before taking a grateful gulp. She placed the cap back on and grabbed her briefcase off the countertop.

"Not yet," Michiru shook her head. "But she knows when dinner is – how was work?"

"Another day in the nurse's office," Setsuna replied. She had taken the position of nurse at Hotaru's school mostly because she did not want to be stuck in the house all day – nor did she want to be stuck at time gates either, but she spent a couple of hours after work doing just that. "And there's no disturbance in the Gates either."

"A good day all around then," Michiru grinned.

Setsuna nodded. "I'm sure you caught up with all your soaps?" she teased.

"Of course, because the house cleans itself," the sea goddess remarked. "I start a new painting and practiced for tomorrow's performance."

"Michiru-san? Practice? So she's not perfect after all," the time guardian poked fun. "Tomorrow night at eight, we're all going to be there."

"Setsuna-mama!"

Both women turned around to their daughter who had reappeared in the kitchen. Hotaru grabbed Setsuna in a massive, tight bear hug; glad to see her other mama had finally come home, she could tell her the wonderful news. "I'm not going to fail school, Setsuna-mama!" she exclaimed. "Michiru-mama is going to help me with my homework!"

"Fail school?" Setsuna questioned, giving the child an one arm hug – she needed to set down the briefcase again. She glanced up at the grinning Michiru.

"Hotaru learned the importance of paying attention in school today," Michiru explained.

"Uh-huh," Hotaru agreed, nodding. "I'm not going to let Yu-Gi-Oh! cards distract me again!"

The front door of the house slammed to a close. At once, Hotaru bolted out of sight, her papa was home. Michiru sighed slightly, looking up at the long forgotten table. "That table is never going to get made," she murmured, shaking her head.

Setsuna chuckled lightly, setting her briefcase down once more, this time it was leaning against one of the bar stools. "She's just excited is all," she said, pulling out the draw containing the dinner settings.

Haruka walked into the room with the excited Hotaru clinging onto her back for a piggy back ride. "I'm home," the F-1 driver needlessly announced, coming up to Michiru to place a kiss on her cheek. "And just in time for dinner."

"Michiru-mama!" Hotaru exclaimed, sliding down from Haruka's back. She held out a pack of Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. "Look what Haruka-papa got me!" she grabbed Haruka's wrist. "Come on! Let's go duel!" The young girl led her papa into the living room. Folding napkins together, Setsuna suppressed a small laugh as Michru, once more, shook her head, removing the pot from the stove.

**End**


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